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Amazing Arrangements

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You’ve chosen your favorite pictures, bought the frames and are ready to build a photo wall. Now what?

Creating a cohesive and attractive wall of framed photos is like trying to build a puzzle without a guide. One of the easiest ways to create a photo wall masterpiece is to hang a large framed or canvas photo in the center and arrange smaller-sized images around it. By using the large picture as the focal point you could even add collage frames with multiple photos around it, provided you leave about two to three inches of space between each of the frames. If you are designing your photo wall above a couch or table, be sure to leave roughly five inches of space between the top of the furniture piece and the bottom of the lowest frame. Try not to create too large of a gap between the furniture and the frames as people’s eyes will gravitate toward the blank space rather than the photos.

One way to avoid hanging disasters is to sketch out a design prior to hammering nails into your wall. When you have finalized your idea, arrange the layout of your frames on the floor. Next, cut pieces of paper in the exact sizes of the frames, and then adhere them to the wall with painter’s tape. If you don’t like the look of your design, you can modify it using more paper and tape. Once you have the kinks worked out, hammer in the nails, remove the tape and hang your pictures.

For those who worry about peppering walls with nails, consider alternatives such as hanging pictures from rods or investing in a photo rail. Another option is to craft a more informal look. You could hang rows of wire in your family room or a child’s bedroom, and use binder clips or clothes pins to attach your favorite pictures to the wire. Not only is this method inexpensive, but it’s also very easy to swap out photos whenever the mood strikes.

About Michele Cheplic

Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin.
Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism. She spent the next ten years as a television anchor and reporter at various stations throughout the country (from the CBS affiliate in Honolulu to the NBC affiliate in Green Bay). She has won numerous honors including an Emmy Award and multiple Edward R. Murrow awards honoring outstanding achievements in broadcast journalism. In addition, she has received awards from the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association for her reports on air travel and the Wisconsin Education Association Council for her stories on education. Michele has since left television to concentrate on being a mom and freelance writer.